Three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus

• US 6,927,862 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2004
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Iwasaki, Takeo
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr., Gregory J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sang H.
• Application Number:
  US10/852,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20040212811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 442 Days
• Field of Search: 356600-602, 356612-615, 356620-625, 356/629, 356/640, 356 2- 301, 356/3.09, 250/237.G, 250/559.19, 250/559.22, 382/154, 382/245
• US Class Current: 356/601
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/24 for measuring contours or curvatures

Abstract

A three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus that detects a three-dimensional shape of an object and a color thereof is provided with an illuminating system that emits light to illuminate the object, and a light receiving device that receives a reflected component of the light from the object. In this structure, the illuminating system is configured to emit the light from a surface having a predetermined area to the object.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional color measuring apparatus, comprising:

an image capturing system that captures an image of a three dimensional object at a plurality of angles; and

a stepwise color variation eliminating system that eliminates stepwise color variations in a predetermined area of the images captured from at least two different directions by the image capturing system; and

wherein the stepwise color variation eliminating system includes illuminating system that simultaneously illuminates the predetermined area of the object with light having a substantially even light intensity.

2. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the light illuminating the object includes diffused light.

3. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the diffused light is white light.

4. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the illuminating system includes:

a light source; and

a light diffusing member that diffuses the light emitted by the light source.

5. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the light source is arranged, when viewed from the object side, behind the light diffusing member.

6. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 4, where the light source is arranged, when viewed from the object side, on a near side of the light diffusing member.

7. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further including a rotary table on which the object is held.

8. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further including a light shielding member that prevents ambient light from being incident on the object.

9. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 1, further including:

a light projecting system that projects light to the three-dimensional object; and

a three-dimensional shape measuring system that measures a three-dimensional shape of the object by detecting an image of the object to which the light is projected by the light projecting system.

10. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the light projecting system emits a slit beam to the object.

11. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the three-dimensional shape measuring system measures the three-dimensional shape of the object by detecting the image of the object illuminated with light projected by the light projecting system.

12. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein light emission of the illuminating system is inhibited when the three-dimensional shape of the object is measured, and

wherein light emission of the light projecting system is inhibited when the color of the object is measured.

13. The three-dimensional color measuring apparatus according to claim 9,

wherein the thy three-dimensional shape measuring system includes a light receiving device that receives reflected component of the slit beam emitted to the object;

and

wherein the apparatus includes a scanning system that moves the slit beam emitting system and the light receiving device relative to the object in a direction perpendicular to an extending direction of the slit beam so as to scan the object with the slit beam.

14. A three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus that detects a three-dimensional shape and color of an object, comprising:

a light projecting system that projects light to the three-dimensional object;

a three-dimensional shape measuring system that measures a three-dimensional shape of the object by detecting an image of the object to which the light is projected by the light projecting system;

a color detecting system that detects the color of the object; and

an image capturing system connected both of the three-dimensional shape measuring system and the color detecting system, the three-dimensional shape measuring system and the color detecting system sharing the image capturing system, the image capturing system capturing images carried by reflected light of the object.

15. A three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus that detects a three-dimensional share of an object and a color thereof, comprising:

(A) a three-dimensional shape measuring system that includes;

a light emitting system that emits light to the object; and

a three-dimensional shape detecting system that detects the three-dimensional shape of the object in accordance with an image of an object at a portion illuminated by the light emitted by the light emitting system; and

(B) a color measuring system that includes;

an illuminating system that emits light to illuminate the object, the illuminating system illuminating the object such that a predetermined area of the object is illuminated simultaneously with light having a substantially even light intensity; and

a light receiving device that receives a reflected component of the light from the object illuminated by the illuminating system to detect a color of the object.

16. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the light receiving device includes a two-dimensional image capturing element.

17. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the illuminating system includes a pair of surfaces from which the light is emitted to the object, the surface facing the object with the light receiving device located therebetween.

18. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a solid angle formed by the predetermined area with respect to a center of the object is one steradian or larger.

19. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the light illuminating the object includes diffused light.

20. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the diffused light is white light.

21. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the illuminating system includes:

a light source; and

a light diffusing member that diffuses the light emitted by the light source.

22. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the light source is arranged, when viewed from the object side, behind the light diffusing member.

23. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the light source is arranged, when viewed from the object side, on a near side of the light diffusing member.

24. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further including a rotary table on which the object is held.

25. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further including a light shielding member that prevents ambient light from being incident on the object.

26. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15,

wherein light emission of the illuminating system is inhibited when the three-dimensional shape of the object is measured, and

wherein light emission of the light emitting system is inhibited when the color of the object is measured.

27. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, further includes a scanning system that moves the light emitting system and the light receiving device relative to the object in a predetermined direction so as to scan the object with the slit beam.

28. The three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the illuminating system is a surface light source.

29. A three-dimensional shape and color detecting apparatus that detects a three-dimensional shape of an object and a color thereof, comprising:

a light emitting system that emits light to the object;

an illuminating system that emits illuminating light having substantially an even intensity distribution toward entire area of the object, thereby illuminating an entire area of the object simultaneously; and

a light receiving device that receives an illuminated portion of the object,

wherein, when the three-dimensional shape of the object is detected, the light emitting system is actuated to emit light to the object and the reflected light is received by the light receiving device,

wherein, when the color of the object is detected, the illuminating light is emitted by the illuminating system to the object and the reflected beam is received by the light receiving device; and

wherein when color is measured, a predetermined area of the object is illuminated simultaneously with light having a substantially even light intensity.

30. The apparatus according to claim 29, wherein the illuminating system includes a surface light source.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein a solid angle formed by an area of the surface light source with respect to a center of the object is at least one steradian.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30, further includes a scanning system that moves the light emitting system and the light receiving device relative to the object in a predetermined direction so as to scan the object with the light.

33. The apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising a controller that controls the illuminating system and the light emitting system to operate,

the controller inhibiting light emission of the illuminating system when the three-dimensional shape of the object is measured, and

the controller inhibiting light emission of the light emitting system when the color of the object is measured.